Does the period of temporary return to home country count towards the total five-year period for Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa holders?

The total period of stay is calculated from the date of landing permission for certification applications, and from the date of change permission for change applications. As long as you have the status of residence of "Specified Skilled Worker (i)", the period of stay is included even if you are abroad with a re-entry permit.

By the way, regarding the employment contract period, there are no specific provisions under the Immigration Control Act. Therefore, according to the Immigration Control Act, there is no problem with an employment contract of 20 years. However, in practice, the status of residence for "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" is recognized for a maximum of 5 years under the Immigration Control Act.

However, under the Labor Standards Act, which is separate from the Immigration Control Act, the contract period for fixed-term employment is generally set to 3 years (Article 14 of the Labor Standards Act).

Therefore, it is common to adopt a 3-year period when creating an employment contract.